Judy Taylor
The cat is one of the most graceful animals in the world. It should be all the more surprising for some cat owners when they hear a snore from the sleeping area of their house tiger at night. Can cats snore? And whether! We’ll explain what’s behind it all when your cat snores.
Reasons for Cats Snoring
As with humans, cat snoring can be caused by a variety of causes and health issues.
Cats with short noses, to which the Persian cats belong, snore particularly often. Because they are characterized, among other things, by a large, round head with a very flat nose. Experts call this cultivated head shape “brachycephaly”. This leads to a narrowing of the airways and thus to shortness of breath and snoring.
Infections can also be responsible for the nightly slumber concert: a cat with a cold and a stuffy and dripping nose tends to snore. Newly formed, superfluous tissue can also interfere with the cat’s breathing during sleep and later also while awake. Possible causes are, for example, nasal polyps. These are benign but can grow to be several centimeters and therefore not only cause loud breathing but also cause breathing problems. Likewise, there may be cause for concern if a tumor in the respiratory tract manifests itself through snoring.
Last but not least: being overweight. Cats that have too many pounds on their ribs tend to snore while sleeping – another parallel to humans. The reason for this is the fat that compresses the airways and thus loudly indicates: Now is the time to lose weight!
What to Do If My Cat Suddenly Snores?
Sudden snoring in an actually healthy and slim cat should make you sit up and take notice and be a reason for a visit to the vet. This is especially true if the velvet paw snores while awake and show either no or particularly strong signs of an infection. The vet will find out the cause of the snoring. If your animal companion suffers from foreign bodies such as polyps, they can in most cases easily remove them with an operation. In the case of a strong infection, the treatment of cat flu is the main focus.
If your adult cat has a good appetite and looks healthy, but snores now and then, you should check its weight. Did she gain weight? If you don’t have a previous weight to compare, feel if the ribs are easy to feel. In addition, the waist should be visible from above. Motivate the velvet paw to exercise more and reduce their portions. If your cat has dry food available throughout the day, you should switch to fixed feeding times instead. Be patient and put on earplugs instead of a zero diet. Because losing weight takes time and strict diets are dangerous for cats. Talk to your vet about snoring and the excess weight of your velvet paw at the latest at the next check-up.
Do you have a velvet paw with a short nose and a flat face? Many of these animals develop breathing problems that manifest themselves in the form of snoring. This usually starts at a young age. If the velvet paw suddenly starts to breathe audibly louder or to snore in old age, the same applies to such “short noses”: Take it to the vet.
Our recommendation is that as soon as the cat starts snoring heavily overnight, take it to the vet. This also applies if the general condition of your animal companion deteriorates at the same time. You can also go to a professional quickly if your cat is suffering from pauses in breathing during sleep. If your animal companion snores only lightly or sporadically, speak to the veterinarian about this at the next check-up.
